Basketball injuries

Injury can strike whether you're shooting some hoops down at the local playground or you're slamming baskets in front of thousands of spectators. Basketball injuries can be nagging long term, so getting the right physiotherapy and treatment and advice following injury is essential. Physiotherapy after injury cannot only help with the healing process, it can also prevent re-injury.

Many basketball injuries are acquired over time through overuse of joints. One such injury, patellar tendinopathy, is even known as Jumper's Knee. This is an affliction of the tendon below the kneecap. Another such injury is Achilles tendinopathy, which causes pain in the Achilles tendon near the heel. Some players damage the rotator cuff tendons in their shoulders from repeated use of the joint.

Some basketball injuries can be more traumatic in nature. They can occur from sudden damage to an area of the body. Sprains, when ligaments are stretched or torn, are one of the most common of these types of injuries. RICE (Rest, Ice, Compression, Elevation) is often the first step in recovery. Rehabilitating the strength and flexibility of the area can be restored through physiotherapy after injury.

Jammed fingers are also a common injury suffered during basketball. The extent of the injury and severity of symptoms such as swelling, pain or lack of strength and movement of the hand should dictate whether you seek medical attention. In severe cases the bones of the hands and fingers may be fractured.

Tearing of the meniscus, or cartilage in the knee, is a common injury associated with basketball. Physiotherapy rehabilitation is instrumental in reducing inflammation and regaining strength following menisci damage, and in severe cases surgery is necessary followed by physiotherapy.

There are four major ligaments in the knee, but two of them are most commonly damaged: The ACL, or anterior cruciate ligament and the MCL, or medial collateral ligament. Both of these ligaments connect the femur (thigh bone) to the tibia (shin bone) and are crucial in stabilising the knee joint. Physiotherapy rehabilitation involves reducing symptoms of pain and swelling as well as restoring strength, flexibility and stability to the knee. Grade 3 ligament tears often need surgical repair followed by physiotherapy.

If you are suffering from any type of sports injury, it is always a wise move to have it checked. Ignoring the signs of injury can lead to further aggravation and even greater damage. Come and see us at Absolute Physiotherapy for an evaluation of your injury and a plan to get you back on the court.

Please share

We do not warrant or represent that the information in this site is free from errors or omissions or is suitable for your intended use. We recommend that you seek individual advice before acting on any information in this site. We have made every effort to ensure that the information on our website is correct at the time of publication but recommend that you exercise your own skill and care with respect to its use. If you wish to purchase our services, please do not rely solely on the information in this website.